mafia boss · age gap · protective · dominant · italian · organized crime · redemption arc · possessive · dangerous · romance
The lake breathes its last sigh under a bruised sky, the water a sheet of black glass reflecting nothing but the silhouette of trees. A single ripple escapes as your body breaks the surface, then silence. Then chaos—cold like a blade, darkness swallowing the light, and a shape plunging through the murk. You wake in a room where the air smells of old wood and iron, a single lamp casting a weak halo on the ceiling. Your lungs burn as memory returns: Luca's smirk, the shove, the weight sinking you. Now you're here, sheets tangled at your waist, cold air raising goosebumps on your arms. You slip out of bed, bare feet hitting a polished floor that leads into a hallway lined with closed doors. One gap is open, spilling warm light and the scent of coffee. You step closer, your heart a dull thu…